A healthy Ramadan

A HEALTHY RAMADAN By British Nutrition Foundation

The holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and a time when many Muslims across the world fast during daylight hours for 29-30 days. The Islamic calendar is lunar and so Ramadan falls at a slightly earlier time in the year each year. Ramadan

2021 is expected to start around the 12th of April.

While fasting is obligatory for all healthy Muslims (not children), there are exemptions for those who are ill or whose health could be affected by fasting, for example, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people with diabetes and other health conditions.

Muslims taking part in Ramadan do not eat or drink anything during daylight hours, eating one meal (the ‘suhoor’ or ‘sehri’) just before dawn and another (the ‘iftar’) after sunset. The end of Ramadan is marked by ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’, the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. A special celebratory meal is eaten during the festival, the first daytime meal for a month.

How does fasting affect the body?

During fasting hours when no food or drink is consumed, the body uses its stores of carbohydrate (stored in the liver and muscles) and fat to provide energy once all the calories from the foods consumed during the night have been used up. The body cannot store water and so the kidneys conserve as much water as possible by reducing the amount lost in urine. However, the body cannot avoid losing some water when you go to the toilet, through your skin and when you breathe and when you sweat if it is warm. Depending on the weather and the length of the fast, most people who fast during Ramadan will experience mild dehydration, which may cause headaches, tiredness and difficulty concentrating. However, studies have suggested that this is not harmful to health, provided that enough fluids are consumed after breaking the fast to replace those lost during the day. For those who would normally consume caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee during the day, the lack of caffeine during the fast may initially lead to headaches and tiredness. This may ease over the course of Ramadan as the body adjusts to going without caffeine during the day. The changes to eating habits and lack of fluids during the day may cause constipation for some people. However, if you are unable to stand up due to dizziness, or you are disoriented, you should urgently drink regular, moderate quantities of water – ideally with sugar and salt – a sugary drink or rehydration solution.

Once the fast is broken, the body can rehydrate and gain energy from the foods and drinks consumed. Consuming a lot of deep fried, creamy and sweet foods may actually cause you to gain weight during Ramadan. Salt stimulates thirst and so it is a good idea to avoid consuming a lot of salty foods. The pre-dawn meal, suhoor, provides fluids and energy for the day of fasting ahead, so making healthy choices can help you to cope better with the fast.

Is fasting good for health?

Results from studies on the health effects of Ramadan fasting are mixed, probably because the length of the fast and the weather conditions experienced vary depending on the time of year and the country where the fast is being observed. Some studies have found that people who are overweight or obese lose weight and body fat during Ramadan. Some small studies have looked at the effect of Ramadan fasting on factors like blood cholesterol and triglycerides (fat in the blood) and found a short-term improvement in some cases although some studies found no effect. There have also been some small studies that suggest that Ramadan fasting may have a short-term beneficial effect on the immune system.

What to eat and drink at iftar and suhoor Iftar

When first breaking the fast go for plenty of fluids, low fat, fluid-rich foods and foods containing some natural sugars for energy (avoid consuming a lot of foods or drinks with added sugars). Below are some examples: • Drinks – water, milk, fruit juices or smoothies – water provides hydration without any extra calories or added sugars. Drinks based on milk and fruit provide some natural sugars and nutrients – these are also good to break the fast but avoid drinking a lot of drinks with added sugars after breaking the fast as these can provide too much sugars and calories. • Dates – traditionally eaten to break the fast since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, dates are a great way to break the fast as they provide natural sugars for energy, provide minerals like potassium, copper and manganese and are a source of fibre. You could also try other dried fruits such as apricots, figs, raisins or prunes, which also provide fibre and nutrients. • Fruit – a traditional way to break the fast in South

Asian cultures, fruit provides natural sugars for energy, fluid and some vitamins and minerals. • Soup – traditional in many Arab countries, is a light way to break the fast and provides fluid. Traditional soups are based on a meat broth and often contain pulses, like lentils and beans, and starchy foods like pasta or grains, providing nutrients and energy.

• After breaking the fast – meals vary between different cultures and traditions but try to make sure the foods you eat provide a balance of starchy foods, including wholegrains where you can, fruit and vegetables, dairy foods and protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs and beans, as shown by the Eatwell Guide. • If you can, once you have had a chance to digest your food, you could try doing some light exercise such as going for a walk. If you attend Taraweeh prayers (special night-time prayers for Ramadan) in the evening, perhaps you could walk all or part of the way there.

Suhoor

• Drink plenty of fluids, choose fluid-rich foods to make sure you are well hydrated for the day ahead and go for starchy foods for energy, choosing high fibre or wholegrain varieties where possible as these can help keep you feeling fuller and can aid digestion, helping to prevent constipation. • Oats - these are wholegrains, and you could choose porridge, which will also provide fluids as it is made with milk or water, muesli with milk or yogurt or overnight oats. You could experiment with fresh or dried fruit, nuts or seeds as toppings. • High fibre breakfast cereals – these provide plenty of fibre and are often fortified with vitamins and minerals, providing extra nutrients. Because they are consumed with milk, you also get fluid and nutrients like calcium, iodine and b vitamins from the milk.

• Starchy foods like rice, or couscous – you could try rice pudding with fruit or experiment with couscous or other grains with dairy or fruit. If you go for savoury dishes at suhoor then it’s a good idea, make sure these are not too salty or they may make you very thirsty during the fast. • Yogurt – this can be a good food to include at suhoor as it provides nutrients like protein, calcium, iodine and b vitamins and also contains fluid. You could combine it with cereal and fruit as in the examples above.

• Breads – go for wholegrain options as these provide more fibre, for example wholemeal toast or chapattis. Avoid combining bread with salty foods like hard cheese, or preserved meats. You could try nut butters (without added salt), soft cheese, or banana. As bread is fairly dry, make sure you drink plenty of water or other fluids alongside or you could have fluid-rich foods such as a lentil soup, which is a traditional food at suhoor in some countries.

BEING A STUDENT IN COVID-19 By Charlotte Smith

Getting a degree in the UK is expensive particularly for students from poorer backgrounds. These are the students who would rely on a maintenance loan to cover their living expenses which eventually leaves them graduating with well over £50,000 of debt. This shortfall means that either parents from low-income background will have to struggle pay or students will have to work part-time to meet their needs and, in some cases, both situations apply. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic many parents have lost their jobs and student part-time work (which is predominantly in the hospitality sector) is non-existent.

The very clear message going out to students now is that they are not even worth a mention, as Prime Minster Boris Johnson’s 4th January State address being a good example where he did not mention anything regarding the plight of students. A decade of austerity has steadily increased university fees and changed maintenance grants into loans and has meant universities now mostly rely on student’s fees to run. Therefore, it must be the government who supports both students and universities at this unprecedented time by refunding student loans.

The way society works is that you pay money for a service and if you don’t receive the quality or experience you paid for, you get your money back. For example, back in March when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK and flights were grounded, if your holiday flight was cancelled you got your money back. Students amass, on average, would have a £40,000 debt by the time they graduate in England. This money pays for a degree, and the degree students across the UK have received is vastly different to the one they expected upon arriving at campus for the first time. From first years who have still never set foot in a lecture hall to third years set to graduate with half their degree having been online, students are now questioning if this online degree was worth the debt.

Many students feel they were lured back into campus for one reason only: money. Universities now run mostly on tuition fees and rent from students thus cannot afford students not coming back. Therefore, the government assured students that they could go back safely and would receive the same quality of education through the format of ‘blended learning’, meaning partially in person and online.

However, ‘blended learning’ has not been the case. The vast majority have had one or two hours in person a fortnight, or none. Many first-year students have never met their tutors or course mates face-to-face. This, combined with an influx of COVID-19 cases, led to students across the nation being confined to their one small room. In hindsight, it was always obvious that sending hundreds of people from across the country into small and crowded accommodations together, would inevitably lead to COVID-19 outbreaks and necessary subsequent lockdowns. However instead of acknowledging this, the blame was shunted onto the students themselves as they were vilified for the highly publicised actions of a few. There are always going to be a few rulebreakers in every generation.

While lecturers have worked hard to produce valuable online learning in very difficult circumstances, it is completely impossible for an online degree to stand in for the degree students went to university to get. One cannot do a laboratory experiment or a geography fieldtrip online. Access to the library for books while isolating or stuck at home because of a lockdown was a nightmare or impossibility.

Whenever they are approached to answer these concerns, the government’s £256 million Student Support Funding is the common answer to every problem the UK students have faced. This is not new for the pandemic and was cut in 2020 from £277 million the year prior. However, it will pay for technology for those who don’t have access, help those who have problems paying rent having lost parttime jobs, fund increased mental health services and do many other things besides. When one does the maths, it works out at barely anything per head in England.

Multiple petitions have circulated calling for a reduction in student fees but have all been dismissed. After five petitions collectively gathered 980,000 signatures, parliament had to debate on the issue, but the outcome was that they were not considering reducing tuition fees. Since then, one further petition calling yet again for fees to be reduced has attracted almost 600,000 signatures.

While many universities have refunded students from their university accommodation that is illegal to live in, this only came after rent strikes were organised. The students who live in University of Nottingham accommodation pledged to withhold an estimated £1.2 million in rent if the university didn’t give them their money back. The university did, and while this is a win for many students, most outside of first year live in private rented accommodation and therefore must keep paying rent for houses they cannot live in.

Across the board, students will graduate with a lower quality degree and less practical skills, and they will graduate into a job market that is virtually non-existent. Youth Unemployment is predicted to rise and is currently sitting at an already 14.2% high. It has never been clearer, students need help.

News & SportsNottingham connected Female Genital Mutilation FGM – FACTS,HELP & ACTIONS

Facts

• FGM is any procedure that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. • FGM has been illegal in England and Wales since 1985. • FGM is a form of child abuse and violence against women and girls. • • FGM is Non-Islamic, against the teachings of Islam and brings Islam into disrepute. • FGM is putting the health of our daughters, sisters, mothers and wives at great risk. • • Over 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM. • 10,000 girls aged under 15 who have migrated to England and Wales are likely to have undergone FGM. • In Nottingham, about 85 new cases were recorded through NHS in 2016/17.

Taking The Taking The City To the Farm TakHelp ing The City To the Farm

Are you concerned a girl or woman is at risk or need support?

• • Join the Community FGM Steering Group: Contact us • For emotional & peer support for survivors in Nottingham, join Freethe FGM Survivor’s club: Contact us • • • • Sessions: Tuesdays Saturdays Refugees & Seekers Free Sessions: Tuesdays Refugees & Asylum Seekers Welcome Free Sessions: Refer survivors needing medical attention to FGM medical specialist in Nottingham: Contact us Call 0808 028 350 for a 24/7 anonymous FGM helpline or email: fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk Call Nottingham City Council Children and Families Direct: 0115 876 4800 Mojatu Foundatio T: 0115 784 6666 | M: 0751 366 1176 | E: angela@moj Woodland Management Sessions Apr-Sep ‘18 Activities include: Fruit Harvesting Tree Management Weeding for Pumpkins & Feeding the animals Form https://go Mojatu Foundation | 167 Alfreton Roa E EDIBL WOODLA Ecocentre, Home Farm, Screv www.farmeco https://goo.g Woodland Management Sessions Apr-Sep ‘18 ADOPT ASaturdays Activities include: Fruit Harvesting Tree Management Weeding for Pumpkins & Maize Feeding the animals Form online @ https://goo.gl/WyH9sz EDIBLE WOODLAND Ecocentre, Home Farm, Screveton, NG13 8JL www.farmeco.co.uk https://goo.gl/pEK1AC Woodland Management Sessions Apr-Sep ‘18 ADOPT A TREE Tuesdays Saturdays Activities include: Fruit Harvesting Tree Management Weeding for Pumpkins & Maize Feeding the animals • Ring the police on 999 if FGM has just happened or about to happen Actions To help end FGM and support survivors, join one of our campaigns or projects • FGM Survivors Club • FGM Steering Group • FGM Global Faith Ambassador • FGM Global Young Ambassador • Request for training • Volunteer with us • ‘Adopt a tree’ project • Donate to support our work • Fundraise to support our work For more information, contact Mojatu Foundation Phone: 01158457009 Mobile: 07759 927671 Email: shalom@mojatu.com | Website: www.mojatufoundation.org Mojatu Foun @mojatu.foundation @T: 0115 784 6666 | M: 0751 366 1176 | E: angela@mojdation | 167 Alfreton Road, NG7 3JR @mojatu.foundation @ mojatuf @mojatu_foundation T: 0115 784 6666 | M: 0751 366 1176 | E: angela@mojatu.com